Underlines the important role played by local and regional authorities and the European regional networks in relation to the sustainable management of tourist destinations and the necessity of making the best possible use of their experience and knowledge, by promoting local and regional cooperation throughout the EU
Impact report 2011
The opinion on "Europe, the world's n°1 destination – a new political framework for tourism in Europe" underlined the important role played by local and regional authorities and the European regional networks in relation to the sustainable management of tourist destinations and the need to make the best possible use of their experience and knowledge, by promoting local and regional cooperation throughout the EU. Several items from the Committee of the Regions' opinions are included in the European Parliament's report , particularly:
• the need for closely involving regional and local authorities in future EU tourism policy, bearing in mind the responsibilities they have in numerous European regions;
• the quality of the work carried out by the regional networks set up in this area.
THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
- welcomes the Commission's desire to deal with the tourism policy in a coordinated and integrated fashion, linking it to other policies such as transport, agriculture and environmental protection policies, information and communication technologies, social policy, culture, etc;
- stresses the important role played by local and regional authorities in relation to the sustainable management of tourist destinations. Their initiatives, and those of the European regional networks, are pioneering in terms of the development of sustainable tourism models and it is crucial to make the best possible use of their experience and knowledge, by promoting local and regional cooperation throughout the EU. In this regard, the Commission's approach of integrating tourism into the different European policies is to be welcomed;
- welcomes the Commission's desire to promote an active policy to promote competitiveness and sustainable development; The challenges faced by the European tourism sector demonstrate the importance of anticipating changes and responding sufficiently quickly to increasing competition in a constantly-evolving sector;
- notes the introduction of a European heritage label and a European "Qualité Tourisme" brand, since they are intended to encourage destinations to employ sustainable practices, and enhance Europe's image as a high-quality tourist destination. However, the added value of this mark needs to be more closely analysed and illustrated, and its award should be subject to strict criteria in order to maintain its prestige;
- notes with concern the potential impact of structural problems such as climate change and the shortage of water and energy resources in European tourist destinations, particularly in the islands and outermost regions. These problems can be overcome only if sustainability is much more intensively promoted within the tourism strategy of the regions in question. The effects of climate change should be prevented through the protection and recovery of natural areas, and by incorporating tourism into Integrated Coastal Zone Management.